Too often in citizen engagement during planning processes, we see the same faces over and over, and key voices in our community aren't represented. This article in Placemakers discusses the difference between quality and quantity in public engagement.

In setting those goals, we’re right to seek out diverse perspectives. But here again, we too often judge the quality of the effort by the body count. The more people, the more authentic the vision. But if that’s true, each person missing from the conversation diminishes its authenticity. Which means those who don’t show up have a stronger voice than those who do.